The use of various paneling and shingling systems are well-known in the construction arts. Among these systems are those types referred to as "standing seam panel" systems wherein a plurality of elongated panels, each having at least one upstanding lateral edge, are placed alongside one another and are affixed to the surface to be covered and protected thereby. In some instances, these existing standing seam panels employ lateral edge profiles which mate with one another so that adjacent lateral edges are releasably locked together in a relatively weather-proof manner. In other constructions, a batten cap snap-locks onto a pair of adjacent lateral edges of the elongated panels in an attempt to weather-proof the seam therebetween. In each of these systems, auxiliary clips are normally used to secure a lateral edge of one or both of the adjacent elongated panels to the surface, and the profile of either of the other adjacent lateral edge or the batten cap then mounts over the clip-secured lateral edge or edges in a releasably locking manner. In either event, the releasable interlocking structure maybe provided directly by the adjacent lateral edges or by the auxiliary attachment clips.
While standing seam panel constructions have been quite useful as a construction material, some problems have been observed with existing standing seam panel systems. For example, where an auxiliary clip is used to attach one adjacent lateral edge of an elongated panel to a surface so that the auxiliary clip provides the releasably locking structure to secure a mating lateral edge of an adjacent elongated panel, the interlock occurs only at the clip locations. These systems therefore have a limited degree of interlock at their lateral edges which diminishes the integrity of the system since the adjacent lateral edges can be more easily and inadvertently disengaged from one another, as may occur from the effect of wind on the surface. This problem can be somewhat eliminated by providing a clip as a continuous strip that extends completely along the lateral edge, but this increases the complexity of manufacture and installation of the panel system, as well as increases the cost of the covering system.
On the other hand, where the lateral edges of the elongated panels are provided with continuous interlocking profiles, the dominant problem has been the difficulty of fabricating the interlocking profiles along the lateral edges of the panel strips. Often, there is seen to be a trade-off between the ease of manufacture and the strength of the interlocking profiles. Typically, the elongated panels are formed by configuring the longitudinal edges of a flat piece of panel stock material, such as a metal strip, by folding and bending the lateral margins into the desired interlocking profile. In order to reduce the complexity of this folding, both manufacturers of pre-fabricated standing seam panels and manufacturers of machinery to do on-site fabrication of the standing seam panels have sacrificed the integrity of the interlocking systems for ease in fabrication. That is, some manufacturers have resorted to simpler profiles that do not lock as strongly together in order to reduce manufacturing costs.
According, there remains a need for simplified profiles and manufacturing techniques whereby standing seam panels can be fabricated either at a remote facility or by movable, on-site machinery, yet which profiles exhibit a strong integrity in their interlocking structure. Thus, despite the successes of existing standing seam panel systems, there remains a need for improved interlocking profile configurations that achieve a strong, releasable interlock from the profiles of adjacent panels when mated with one another yet which profiles are simple and inexpensive to fabricate. The present invention is believed to satisfy these needs.